Charleston's expert arborists. Live oaks, salt air, and a real hurricane season.

From live oak pruning to palm removals to 2 a.m. storm calls, we're on call. With 24/7 storm response, we're built to help Charleston's trees through hurricane season, king tides, and the summer thunderstorms that build over the marsh. Expert arborists, on call around the clock.

Get An Estimate (844) 835-8733

Why Charleston

Why Charleston trees need a real arborist.

The Certified Arborist Tree Service brings expert arborists, consistent standards, and the insurance that matters to your property across Charleston and the surrounding Lowcountry, whether it is one heavy live oak limb over a roof or a whole street after a hurricane.

Charleston sits between the Ashley and Cooper rivers on low, sandy and loamy ground where the water table runs high and tidal marsh reaches into many neighborhoods. Roots here tend to spread wide and shallow rather than deep, because saturated soil a few feet down holds little oxygen. A king tide or a wet week in August can leave a big oak standing in soft ground with far less grip than it looks.

Reading that ahead of time, knowing which laurel oak is carrying hidden heart rot, which palm has a conk at its base, and how a hurricane will push wind and surge across a waterlogged root zone, is what keeps a tree in the ground instead of on a roof. That is the judgment a crew with a chainsaw does not carry.

Schedule a site walk in Charleston Call (844) 835-8733

Why Charleston trees fail

The risks to watch in Charleston right now.

When a tree fails here, the cause is often one of these problems, which an arborist checks on a Charleston site visit.

Hurricanes and Storm Surge

Hurricane Hugo in 1989 remains the benchmark tree disaster for the Charleston area, and any season can bring wind, surge, and days of rain together. Structural pruning and a risk check before peak season reduce what the next storm can take down.

Decay in Laurel and Water Oaks

Both oaks grow fast and often carry interior decay by middle age, and hypoxylon canker moves in once drought or root damage stresses them. An arborist sounds and probes the trunk instead of judging the canopy alone.

Ganoderma Butt Rot in Palms

This fungus decays the lower trunk of cabbage palmetto and other palms, often showing as a shelf shaped conk near the base. There is no cure, so an infected palm near a house or driveway is usually a removal candidate.

Salt Spray and Tidal Flooding

Wind carries salt that burns foliage on the exposed side of a crown, and king tides and surge push salt water into low root zones. Live oak and cabbage palmetto handle it well. Many planted ornamentals do not.

Service area

Our Charleston service area.

Serving Charleston and the surrounding Lowcountry communities.

Areas we cover

Click an area to learn more about it.

Free estimate

Tree care in Charleston, one form away.

Tell us what is going on with your trees. An arborist serving Charleston calls you back, walks the property, and puts the price in writing before anything is scheduled.

Prefer to talk? (844) 835-8733

What people are saying

Rated 4.9 stars across 140+ reviews.

Real reviews from real customers, straight from our Google Business Profile. Here's what people say once the crew has packed up and the yard is clean.

★★★★★

March 11th, a brief but strong storm came through Goodlettsville and blew over two giant trees in my front yard; one which was being supported by a 3rd tree that was facing and threatening my house. It was an…

Julie Bangs●3 days ago

★★★★★

From the time I inquired w this company about removing a tree that was strongly impacted from the major strong 80 mph winds on March 3, 2023, they provided us w exceptional service in every way . They were…

Jeanne Mason●3 weeks ago

★★★★★

My family had a tree removal emergency! A large tree in our back yard was on fire and splitting down the middle. The fire department came out the night before to extinguish the fire, but when I woke up the…

Mysty Diehl●6 weeks ago

Read all 140+ reviews on Google

What we do

A geotagged inventory of every tree on the property: species, age, condition, and recommended work, refreshed annually.

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Trees we know

The Charleston species list, and what to watch for.

Local soil, local weather, local pests. Each species here fails in its own way, and we plan around all of them.

Live Oak

The signature Lowcountry shade tree, made famous by the Angel Oak on Johns Island. Its long, low limbs need careful weight reduction pruning rather than heavy cuts that invite decay.

Laurel Oak

Often mistaken for live oak, it is shorter lived and prone to heart rot, which makes mature laurel oaks near a house a priority for inspection.

Water Oak

Fast growing on wet coastal ground, with weak wood and a hypoxylon canker risk once drought or construction stresses the tree.

Southern Magnolia

A dense evergreen crown catches a lot of wind, and shallow roots in sandy soil can let a large magnolia tip over in saturated ground.

Cabbage Palmetto

South Carolina's state tree, tough against salt and wind, but vulnerable to Ganoderma butt rot and weakened when too many green fronds are cut.

Loblolly Pine

Tall and fast growing across the inland suburbs, and a common storm failure where it roots into poorly drained flats.

Local expertise

Why an Expert Arborist Matters in Charleston

Charleston's wet, sandy ground, salt air, and hurricane exposure put real, specific stress on the trees growing here. A crew with a chainsaw treats the tree that already failed. An arborist reads the laurel oak with early heart rot, the palm with a conk at its base, or the live oak limb reaching out over the roof, and acts before failure, not after. Several Lowcountry towns also protect large grand trees, so it pays to check with the city or county before a big removal.

Estimates are walked by an experienced arborist. Cuts follow ANSI A300 standards, risk assessments follow TRAQ methodology, and you get a written plan before work begins.

Across the Charleston Area

From Mount Pleasant and James Island near the harbor to Summerville, Goose Creek, and Moncks Corner further inland, each community in our Charleston coverage area has its own page covering the species, soil, and storm exposure specific to that town.

The risk shifts from marsh edge lots to inland pine flats, but the standard does not. Pruning follows ANSI A300 standards, and risk assessments follow TRAQ methodology.

Charleston FAQ

Local questions, local answers.

Don't see your question? Call us. Calls are answered by a real person, day or night.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Charleston?

Local rules vary by jurisdiction, lot, and whether the tree is protected. We confirm the requirements for your exact Charleston address and handle any permit or arborist report needed before work begins.

How fast can an arborist get to my property?

Most estimate visits happen within 24 hours, and storm emergencies get a crew on site the same day. We answer the phone around the clock.

Why do Charleston oaks come down in storms that seem mild?

Much of Charleston sits on low ground with a high water table. A few days of rain or a king tide can saturate the root zone, and a heavy, spreading oak crown can then pull a shallow root plate loose in gusts the same tree would ride out on drier ground.

What pests and diseases should I watch for here?

Hypoxylon canker and decay in laurel and water oaks, Ganoderma root rot in palms, and bark beetles in stressed pines are among the main ones. Laurel wilt has killed many native redbays across the Lowcountry, and Formosan subterranean termites are established in the Charleston area and can hollow out living trees.

What standards do your arborists follow?

Our crews are trained to ANSI A300 pruning standards, and risk assessments follow TRAQ methodology. An expert arborist conducts the estimate in Charleston.

Are you insured?

Yes. We carry the insurance that matters, the kind that protects every inch of your property.

Take back your trees today